Archers thread #191: Mulligan: stew made from odds and ends; second chance after poor shot. Both fit the bill. Discuss The Archers here.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Thank you, @PseudoBadger, for kicking off this long, long series of Archers threads.

All views on The Archers welcome here! New blood welcomed, and of course we are always delighted to welcome back former or occasional listeners/posters. We don't all agree on all points, although we do mostly try to be civil about it. Most of us are posting tongue in cheek a lot of the time, so don't worry about revealing that like George you like your steak very well done, or other unusual views.

Spoilers: not on this thread, please! We don't wait for the omnibus to discuss the weeknight episodes, but we do try our best to avoid cross-contamination from https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/radio_addicts/4636789-the-archers-spoilers-thread-7-cant-wait-for-702pm-join-us-here, where spoilers are positively welcomed!

For newer listeners, lurkers or those who just have no idea what we're talking about, @DadDadDad has created this useful thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/radio_addicts/3557323-For-Archers-fans-a-guide-to-acronyms-on-the-long-running-discussion-threads-and-any-other-meta-thread-questions-you-may-have - BOOP point for him! (See thread for explanation.)

Mulligan mostly makes me think of John Finnemore's Souvenir Show. This is good, and tenuously connected to a recent TA storyline

Over to you!

Pleasing to witness George wanting to run away from his problems but Amber get in the way of his plans.

Nice to see that he thought Amber was raking it in with the influencing and to witness that disillusionment. Boop for Auntie Tracey, too. It feels like we are watching the cows finally come home to George Grundy and I want a front row seat!

Do you think George thought Amber was loaded and that they could get money from her mum and dad. He is definitely turning into Eddie who is a lazy useless piece of work. I can't see Amber sticking around once he starts his nasty women hating ways.
Alice is lucky she can either have the stables or after having a go at Brian, run the farm. Such a lucky girl but she will never be happy because of the drinking and guilt towards Martha.

How on earth is Eddie ‘lazy’? He seems to have been working non-stop at his portfolio career for all the decades I’ve been listening to him.

Eddie’s problem has always been poor organization plus wildly unrealistic get rich quick dreams - nurtured by his dad.

Very interesting episode. George thinks everyone who’s ’well off’ hasn’t had to work for it and has it easy, and he’s got that from Emma as much as Eddie. One of the reasons he gave for framing Alice was that he assumed she wouldn’t get in trouble, because people like her don’t, do they? Oh, apart from Freddie. George is a dangerous mix of stupid, entitled and impatient, hence the job request to Jolene of all people. The ‘I said sorry didn’t I?’ attitude is absolutely typical of him. He doesn’t understand that no one owes him forgiveness. Tracey and Amber may have started to get through to him, though. Neil aside, his immediate family are incapable of being that honest with him. He is so lucky to have a loving family, and the prison officer said as much as well. I just hope he mentions being framed for the shank to someone who’s willing to point out that he did exactly the same to Alice, just to hammer the point home.

Eddie isn’t lazy, and I wouldn’t say l George is either. The Carters and Grundies are all grafters. But Eddie has a lazy and entitled way of thinking, always ducking and diving, looking for the next way to scam people, not in an out-and-out criminal way more in an ‘oh that Eddie Grundy’ way. And because he focuses on his ridiculous schemes, he’s never made any effort to get a better-paid honest job. And he will always blame other people for his misfortune. Just like George.

In fact in different ways, last night’s episode was wall-to-wall entitlement wasn’t it? George and then Adam/Alice/Ruairi. I can’t wait until Kate hears about the latter 😂

We so need Debbie to just turn up and take over. 😄

No discussion; no argument.

Haha yes! She’s the only grown up in the family.

I agree with @TherapistInATabard .
He's been indulged by his family so far, and only Neil has been truthful with him.

Nasty entitled scrote. He's already showing signs of controlling behaviour towards Amber.

@TottersBlithely He's offloaded an awful lot of it to Clarrie. He's always cutting corners or trying to pull a fast one.

true but Amber pushed back immediately
good for her

She must be desperate. I don't see it lasting.

That would be lovely, but I believe she's very busy at the moment playing in a rock band with other menopausal women.

[Nurse! The screens.]

other menopausal women. Why are women so often described by the state of their hormones?

I'm aware that it could be relevant to the TV drama, but I would not like to be described as menopausal.

She is desperate though isn't she - she's desperate for a family to accept her, and the Grundies have done that, despite her awful behaviour. It's going to be a very strong motivating factor for her, I think. I could see her becoming more wed to his family than to him, very quickly.

She's beginning to become an interesting character to me. She's toned down the awful entitlement and become more grounded and is starting to become a bit more complex - I hope that this is indicative of the character developing as the story progresses, a bit like all of the main character women in the Big Bang theory settled down into better rounded characters after having initially been introduced as quite unlikeable stereotypes.

that is the whole point of Riot Women though. Only seen the first ep so far, is it worth persisting with?

Loved Amber waking George up to how much work her little influencer job is, for so little reward.

One Chekhovian gun that hasn't yet been fired is the thickly-laid health and safety hazard salad that is tree surgery. I'm wondering if George might be involved in that discharge.
Also, surprised that he didn't go full Andrew Tate fan in prison.

But of course the Marky situation isnt resolved. Might G end up turning on Jolene and Kenton in return for Marky's protection?

@Brefugee , my post said it was relevant to the TV programme, but it isn't to The Archers, other than Debbie is the only one of the Macey/Aldriges without progeny. Ruairi doesn't yet, but he's not 23 until next month.

I wasn't pointing my finger at this thread, just the general 'I'm being a complete arse/idiot/.. It's my perimenopause/menopausal brain fog/PMT/pregnancy brain/...' type posts on here.

My comment was more about the general use of words like perimenopausal or menopausal to describe women. I'm more than my hormones.
Most articles about women give the woman's age, but those on men don't.

I looked to see how old the Adam character is and found 'Played the part of Thorkil Jensen in the BBC Radio 4 series The Archers.'
The name rings a bell but I can't exactly pin it.

It's very relevant to the drama.

@CaptainMyCaptain , did you actually read my posts?

other menopausal women. Why are women so often described by the state of their hormones?
I'm aware that it could be relevant to the TV drama, but I would not like to be described as menopausal.

I don't watch BBC TV but am aware of the programme.

Part of the problem in society (and medicine/medical research) is that women’s hormones are ignored.

agree we shouldn’t be labelled by them but it’s not a bad thing to acknowledge the fact that women’s health and behaviour can be impacted by their stage of life. Doesn’t make it a bad thing. It’s just the way things are

in terms of the post you referenced - the whole point of the program is that they are menopausal so i don’t understand why that triggered you as it wasn’t a reference to anyone outside the show

i don’t understand why that triggered you
It didn't "trigger" me (but subsequent post like yours have raised my hackles).
As I pp, it might be relevant to the tv programme, and it is definitely not been treated seriously enough scientifically and clinically.

I wasn't having a pop at Gasp but at the posts on MN where the strangest things are blamed on a woman's hormonal state.
Posts like 'I'm being a complete arse to my family but it's because I am perimenopausal' (it could be because you are an arse?) or 'My DP is controlling, gaslighting bully. Is is my menopause?' (it's because he is a bully?), 'I've gained 2 stones but it all happened when I turned 50' (you eat too much?)

I think that what will happen, if it hasn't already, is that women will be treated worse, because it will be assumed that all women between 45 and 65 will be a fog of hormones.

I'd like to see people like Tamsin Greig celebrated for being fine actors, not their age or how they look.

Well I agree with you there - and women are stereotyped enough all through their lives!

but at least we are at a stage where periods aren’t discussed in hush hush tones

balance needed!

(and I use triggered facetiously)

Yes I did. I thought you hadn't seen the drama and I was right. 🤷‍♀️

(Whispers....I'm half-way through Riot Women and am 'enjoying' it. I'd not come across Rosalie Craig before and I should probably seek out some of Sally Wainwright's earlier stuff too.

Anyway, back to Ambridge. I am relieved that Amber appears to be far more clued up about life than poor George with his hefty chip on the shoulder. I am glad that they remembered that she does have a job. If Poppy is going to be allowed be an occasional speaking part, I would like to see how they progress a Poppy/Amber "honorary aunt" relationship. It must be very odd to have the pair of young adults suddenly move in to your home. I dislike George even more than I did 24 hours ago (which is a shame because the character can act).

On the subject of unexpected housemates, presumably Helen and her boys are now resting under the patio. It's odd that the potential for disharmony was let slip.